Western Michigan begins fall practices on Aug. 2, and 29 days later the Broncos will kick off the season against Syracuse on Aug. 31 at Waldo Stadium.

Second-year coach Tim Lester and the Broncos are coming off a 6-6 season and will seek to recapture the Mid-American Conference title they won in 2016.

Leading up to fall camp and before the incoming freshmen class arrives, we're making an early projection at the top 20 players who will be most key to the Broncos' success in 2018:

No. 9: Drake Spears

Drake Spears(Photo: Courtesy of WMU Athletics)

Position: Linebacker

Hometown (H.S.): Aurora, Illinois (West Aurora)

2017 stats: 12 games, 31 tackles, one sack, one fumble recovery

Why he's No. 9: Spears was ticketed for a starting role at outside linebacker in 2017 when former teammate Robert Spillane briefly left the program, but settled into a backup and special teams role where he excelled. With Spillane now in the NFL, the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Spears is primed to show what he can do to help the Broncos' front seven. A former three-star recruit who decommitted from Illinois, he made 10 stops as a true freshman in 2016 and has 41 tackles over 25 career games. His sideline-to-sideline speed and positional versatility will be key to a revamped linebacker corps that is expected to be aggressive in WMU's attack 4-3 defense.

Nick Buckley can be reached at nbuckley@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-966-0652. Follow him on Twitter:@NickJBuckley